Nigeria vs Madagascar: Preview, team news, h2h as Super Eagles seek first AFCONQ win

It is Nigeria vs Madagascar on matchday one of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, with the game scheduled for the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday, September 25, Afrik-Foot reports.

The Super Eagles will look to secure an important victory over the visiting Barea in the absence of their talismanic forward Victor Osimhen.

The Galatasaray striker, Nigeria’s second all-time highest goalscorer, is sidelined by a right adductor strain. The Super Eagles confirmed on Sunday that he will miss both September qualifiers, with Coventry City star Taiwo Awoniyi called up as his replacement.

That puts the focus on Akor Adams, the Super Eagles striker who scored against Portugal in June, and on Awoniyi, who is recalled for the first time in almost two years.

Tanzania are already through to the finals as co-hosts, so Nigeria, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau are competing for a single place from Group L.

This Nigeria vs Madagascar preview covers team news, the head-to-head record, our prediction and tips for the opener in Uyo.

Nigeria vs Madagascar: Match radar

⚽ Nigeria vs Madagascar
Competition	2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Group L
Date	Friday, September 25, 2026
Venue	Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo
Referee	Alhadji Allaou Mahamat (Chad)
Only the highest-ranked of Nigeria, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau will join co-hosts Tanzania at AFCON 2027.

Super Eagles form and Group L context

Nigeria have not played a competitive match since the third-place game against Egypt at AFCON 2025, where Eric Chelle’s side finished third after a 2-0 quarter-final win over Algeria.

Their latest friendlies were a 2-0 win over Zimbabwe and a 3-0 win over Jamaica at the Unity Cup in May, then a 2-2 draw with Poland and a 2-1 defeat to Portugal in June.

The Portugal loss was the first time Nigeria had lost in regulation time under Chelle after a 12-match unbeaten run.

Rustiness is a fair concern, because captain Wilfred Ndidi and vice-captain Moses Simon were both unused substitutes for their clubs before the break.

Ndidi watched from the bench as Beşiktaş lost 3-2 to Amedspor, where Madagascar captain Rayan Raveloson played the full 90 minutes.

Madagascar missed AFCON 2025 but reached the final of the African Nations Championship.

The Barea are far less convincing against elite opposition, having lost 4-0 to Morocco in June and 4-1 to Mali in October.

Before the Morocco game they beat Kyrgyzstan 5-2 and Equatorial Guinea 2-0.

Nigeria vs Madagascar head-to-head record

Nigeria have won three of the five meetings, drawn one and lost one, scoring five goals and conceding two.

The Super Eagles won 2-0 in September 2010 and 2-0 again in September 2011, both times in AFCON qualifying.

The only defeat came at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, where Madagascar won 2-0 on June 30 to top Group B and Nigeria went through as runners-up.

That result is more than seven years old and tells us little about the current squads, but it does prove Madagascar have beaten Nigeria before.

#Nigeria face #Madagascar in a AFCON2027Q in Uyo on 25 September. The last fixture between both nations saw the Indian Ocean islanders pull off one of the great shocks of the AFCON tournament when they upset the Super Eagles 2-0 at the 2019 event in Egypt to finish top of Group B… pic.twitter.com/0LWYmBaGGd

— Olúwashínà Òkélèjì (@oluwashina) September 21, 2026

Nigeria vs Madagascar: Super Eagles team news and predicted XI

Super Eagles striker Awoniyi, who plays for Coventry City, has been drafted in for Osimhen and joins Adams, Tolu Arokodare and George Ilenikhena as Chelle’s options up front.

Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye was the only player missing from Tuesday’s first training session, which points to Stanley Nwabali starting after a clean sheet for Chippa United.

Ola Aina and Benjamin Fredricks are back after injury, although both were unused substitutes in their last club games.

Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi arrives in form after creating seven chances and completing every pass in Fulham’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United.

Nigeria and Atletico Madrid forward Ademola Lookman played 23 minutes off the bench in Atlético Madrid’s 2-1 win over Real Madrid on September 20.

Super Eagles invitees Isaac James and Ilenikhena are among the players hoping to make senior debuts.

Madagascar coach Corentin Martins named a 25-man squad that includes first call-ups for striker Roman Ferber and goalkeeper Zacharie Boucher, plus the return of forward Warren Caddy.

Boucher was then withdrawn over comments he made in 2018 about Madagascar, yet he was seen training with the group in Uyo, so Geordan Dupire remains the safer pick in goal.

Raveloson has told reporters in Uyo that “they are humans like us, so we are not scared” of Nigeria.

Nigeria	Madagascar
Victor Osimhen: out (right adductor strain) Maduka Okoye: doubt, absent from Tuesday’s training Ola Aina, Benjamin Fredricks: back from injury	Zacharie Boucher: withdrawn from the squad over 2018 comments, status unclear Goalkeeper options: Geordan Dupire, Nina Rakotoasimbola

Star player comparison: Lookman vs Raveloson

Lookman is Nigeria’s biggest attacking name without Osimhen, while Raveloson captains Madagascar from a midfield base in Turkey.

Ademola Lookman Forward · Atlético Madrid	2026/27	Rayan Raveloson Midfielder · Amedspor
1	Goals	0
0	Assists	1
7	Appearances	6
6.87	Average rating	7.33

Lookman scored at Sevilla on August 29, and Raveloson set up a goal in Amedspor’s 5-0 win over Başakşehir on September 13.

The managers: Chelle and Martins

Chelle carries the memory of the World Cup playoff defeat to DR Congo on penalties, so a slow start in Group L would bring pressure quickly.

Martins was appointed in January 2025 with AFCON 2027 qualification as a stated target.

He trimmed a 55-man provisional list to 25 for these two games, and two of those 25 were first-time call-ups.

Nigeria vs Madagascar tactical preview: How Super Eagles and Barea could line up

Nigeria are expected to play two strikers in a 4-4-2, with Ndidi and Frank Onyeka protecting the back four while Iwobi and Lookman look for space between the lines.

The squad contains only four recognised midfielders in Ndidi, Iwobi, Onyeka and Raphael Onyedika, so one booking or knock would force Chelle to move a forward inside.

Madagascar lined up in a 3-5-2 against Morocco in June, and a return to that shape would give Martins five midfielders to crowd Ndidi and Onyeka.

The concern for the visitors is their record against the best sides, because Morocco and Mali both scored four against them.

Their best route to goal is a counter-attack through Loïc Lapoussin, Caddy and Hakim Abdallah while Nigeria’s full-backs push forward.

Nigeria vs Madagascar betting tips

Our Nigeria vs Madagascar tips lean on the home side’s attacking depth and Madagascar’s record against strong opposition.

Nigeria vs Madagascar score prediction

🔮 Nigeria 2 – 0 Madagascar

Nigeria have more attacking quality than a Madagascar side that has struggled against top opposition, and Adams has already scored against elite defenders this summer. Likely scorers: Akor Adams, Ademola Lookman.

Nigeria’s lack of competitive games and Madagascar’s 2019 win are the two reasons this could be closer, but the Super Eagles should still have too much for a visiting side that leaks goals against the strongest opponents.